Abstract
Six patients with rheumatoid lumbar spine involvement underwent instrumentation surgery and are reported on. Five patients were in stage 4 and one in stage 3. The preoperative symptoms were lumbago (5 cases), paresis of the lower extremities (4 cases), disturbance of urinary bladder and rectum function (2 cases) and intermittent claudication (1 case) . Roentgenograms showed osteoporosis (6 cases) and compression fracture or collapse (5 cases) . The instruments used for surgery were Mizuno's spinal plate (2 cases), Luque wiring (1 case), a segmental square spinal instrument (2 cases) and ceramics (1 case) . After surgery stable fixation of the spine was obtained in all cases.
